Fringe preview: Nish Kumar

AT a time when UK politics is undergoing seismic change with communities polarised by contrasting views, a comedy show about history, democracy and capitalism seems somewhat apt.

AT a time when UK politics is undergoing seismic change with communities polarised by contrasting views, a comedy show about history, democracy and capitalism seems somewhat apt.

Enter Have I Got News For You favourite Nish Kumar with his new show Actions Speak Louder Than Words Unless You Shout The Words Real Loud. In it he argues that you don’t define someone by their politics as he is keen to explain...

“Greetings, my name is Nish Kumar. I am a comedian who talks about politics and am also an infrequent wearer of hats.

“What a year we’re having. The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. One of the knock-on effects may well be that Scotland votes to leave the United Kingdom, thus forcing us to change the name to either Three Great Countries, The Best Friends Club or the The Artist Formerly Known as the United Kingdom.

“With both the EU referendum and a possible second Scottish referendum on the horizon, families are being torn apart, or at the very least having rows in McDonalds. In times of divisive rhetoric, the question is, how do you separate the personal from the political? Can you judge a person based on their politics?

“The answer is of course not, as long as they’re not being a turd about it. Disagreement and debate is a healthy part of any society. What isn’t healthy is screaming ‘burn in hell you fascist’ at your uncle over Christmas dinner.

“There is a spectrum of political belief in my own family; my brother and I are broadly on the left, my dad is more of a centrist and my mum thinks we should all be in jail. But as long as you treat each other with respect, there’s no problem.

“Talk about politics, argue and do so with passion. But just before you speak, take a second to think ‘Would a d***head say this?’ If the answer is yes, then don’t say it. Consider changing the tone, so it’s passionate but not personally insulting. It’s simple.

“If only everyone on the internet would heed this advice the state of our public discourse would be greatly improved.”